Rockridge Shopping Center (Corner of Broadway and Pleasant Valley)

The RCPC board also heard a presentation
from David Zystra of Safeway’s
Property Development Centers division,
who reported that the newest revised plans
for redeveloping the Rockridge Shopping
Center involve a slightly bigger expansion
(130,000 sq. ft. versus 110,000 sq. ft in the
previous proposal). They also include actual
internal streets within the shopping center,
rooftop parking instead of the subterranean
lot previously proposed, and a new threestory
structure on the corner of Pleasant
Valley and Broadway, where the Chase
Bank building is now.

Still to be determined is how or whether
all of the functions now performed by the
CVS drug store (e.g., hardware store, garden
center, housewares store, toy store, school
supplies store) will continue after the store
closes. (CVS’s lease expires next July.)

While the new plans are much improved
over Safeway’s previous proposal, they still
show the center accessed almost exclusively
by automobiles. RCPC boardmembers suggested
several ways to create better transit
access. One notable proposal would be to
move the AC Transit 51A/51B turnaround
from the Rockridge BART station to the
interior of the shopping center, installing
a transit station at the center. With a new
signalized entrance off of Broadway, such
a transit station might simplify and expedite
the operation of the split line, while
also eliminating a major annoyance to
residents along Keith, Miles, and Forest.
Safeway has also said it is in discussions
with Kaiser-Oakland about adding the
Rockridge Shopping Center to the itinerary
of the shuttle that now runs between
Kaiser and MacArthur BART. With that
and a new 51 A/B stop, the Center would
have much improved public transit access,
potentially reducing its traffic impacts.
Much will depend, however, on whether AC
Transit is willing to have a transit station
on private property.

Safeway will present its plans for the
center to the Rockridge community at the
July Town Hall Meeting, Thursday, July 22,
7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library.
The meeting may be moved to a larger venue
to accommodate the expected crowd. Check
the rockridge.org Web site or the library
bulletin board for updates, or sign up for the
RCPC e-newsletter to receive timely updates
on this and other upcoming events. (E-mail
info@rockridge.org to sign up for the e-news.)